Sick as a dog so, show me you Bivi / Bikepacking / Adventure racing gear…..

Bikepack Repack SL large seatpack (bag & tarp)
15l drybag on bars (bivvy, mat, fleece)

Might be worth trying to split this lot up … wet tarp in the same space as a sleeping bag could spell disaster.

Sleeping bag, mat and fleece might be a better mix :wink:

Any of you bivvy afficionados do so in the MOD land around Farnborough/Aldershot?

Midge proof bivvy bag – http://bearbonesbikepacking.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/borah-gear-bivvy-bag.html

Molgrips ive done alot of riding in that area and so long as you dont go getting in the armys way no ones likely to be bothered. Some excelent hiden trails around the old machine gun bunkers aswell.

A couple of shots from the weekend, for those of you who let mowing the lawns/visiting the in-laws/fill in the blank, get in way of riding your bike. :D

Right guys I’m going to get myself some budget bikepacking kit….I think that I’m going to get the cheap Gelert 1 man tent (I don’t much fancy the idea of a bivvy bag) I’m also going to get the tesco down sleeping bag. What sleeping mat would you recommend? I’ve seen both the alpkit numo and dirtbag…that is about the top of my budget tbh-I’m not a great sleeper so I’d like something that favours comfort. I’ve read all 56 pages of this thread today-best thread on stw!!

You can’t really beat Alpkit for price/performance

Which type would you recommend though….the balloon style one or the self inflating type?

I’ve read all 56 pages of this thread today

Brilliant.

I love that enthusiasm when you find something new to be psyched on!

The numo is hard to beat for weight, comfort and packed size.

I’m currently using an air mattress, which is more compact than a self inflating and comfier. But tbh, I rarely get a good nights sleep when camping as I’m a side sleeper. Usually the terrain is the limiting factor.

Don’t forget some earplugs for when it’s windy…

Also, the thread is now 65 pages, keep up :P

…I’m also going to get the tesco down sleeping bag

Can you still get them? I thought they were discontinued.

Yep turns out that you cant get them!…can anyone recommend a cheapish sleeping bag please? It wont be used in silly cold temps.

I love my Mountain Hardware Lamina synthetic bag.
I paid £70 discounted for the 35 model I think (from a shop in hathersage).

Not quite as small/light as a down bag, but not very far off at all. (in a class of it’s own as far as I can tell).

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/product-search/text/lamina

http://www.blacks.co.uk/product/096732.html

Edit: Hmmm – I didn’t realise the Tesco bag was as cheap as £20. Hmmmm.

I got one of those Lamina 35s when Go Outdoors were selling off stock. Fabulous bag – almost as light/compact as my down bag but potentially better for bivvying.

Can someone point me in the right direction for buying some Cordura fabric please? I’m looking to get some to make a handlebar harness but can only seem to find it in huge volumes.

I’m probably just being crap as its early and I’ve nearly finished work…

Can someone point me in the right direction for buying some Cordura fabric please?

UK SUPPLIER[/url]

I have some Cordura fabric I think there is 2 meter ish

My son and I took a little jaunt on Monday night, probably not as ‘core as some on here as it involved being dropped off in the wilderness by the missus in our car :

The walk in.

Tent up and then bye bye to mum.

The evenings activities.

Campfire with a lovely dusk approaching.

Scary story time.

Off to skinny dip.

Luuuvverly.

In the morning we got to see huge shoals of fish (? mackerel) all jumping close to shore, thousands of them, an angler reckoned they were herding on the sand eels ready for the kill. We could actually hear them splashing from our tent. Might invest in a fishing rod next.

The tent i used was a £30 Coleman Rigel X2 (<1kg) which i really like the size of. We slept the night with the long door rolled up but it still produced condensation on the inside above our feet which dripped. I think maybe the same design but in a waterproof and breatheable material would be great be very expensive.

probably not as ‘core as some on here

Seeing as it looks like you pitched up at the end of Slapton Sands known for dodgy nocturnal activities I’d say it was, almost literaly, ‘core ;-)

Seeing as it looks like you pitched up at the end of Slapton Sands known for dodgy nocturnal activities I’d say it was, almost literaly, ‘core

ahhh, yes, in the morning we chatted to a naked fisherman – he had some well used tackle :lol:

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IMG_0667[/url] by Yorkshirebiking[/url], on Flickr
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IMG_0676[/url] by Yorkshirebiking[/url], on Flickr
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IMG_0650[/url] by Yorkshirebiking[/url], on Flickr
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IMG_0685[/url] by Yorkshirebiking[/url], on Flickr
Back in May I completed the Cairngorm Loop ITT. a 196 mile self supported ride around the beautiful Cairngorm Mountains. After 34 beautiful & brutal miles I finished what has to be my most memorable ride to date :) I wrote a blog artical after the event. I hope you like the read.
Cairngorm Loop blog.

Great job Sturider.

The Cairngorm Loop is certainly on my list. I need to work on my endurance/fitness first though. There’s no way I could do 200 offroad miles in 2-3 days just yet.

PSA: Alpkit Airlok XTra dry bags (the ones with the attachment pooints) now back in stock.
Also the Gourdon drybag backpacks.

They seem to have stopped doing black though :(

Just seen that the alpkit dry bags are back in stock. A question: How well will they attach to a hardtail using just straps and no rack/clever homemade cages? I’m thinking of a 13l on my bars and a 20l strapped to my seatpost and saddle…..will I die?

I use a 8L under the saddle and a 13L on the handlebars with only straps (and some double-sided velcro to wrap around the setapost) and it’s all good.

The only problem is that the end right under the saddle can get a bit wide for thighs, so you learn to pack something narrow in that bit, or just stuff soft stuff in and then batter it narrow :)

I personally wouldn’t go bigger than 8L though, because it’s difficult to stabilise the load side-to-side. You have to have the bag aligning vertically, which means the attachment points are at the top and bottom of the bag. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, you could make a sling for it, That might get a 13L on. I still wouldn’t go for 20L.

I do something similar to alexsimon, but if you clip the roll top clip of the dry bag round top of the seatpost, you can cantilever the bag out the back upside down, with a bungee round the saddle rails. This keeps it out of the way of your thighs. I’ve done it with a 13l dry bag too, although that was a bit wobbly …

I’ve had one of the Tesco down sleeping bags for a year or so and only got around to using it on a family camping trip last week. Unfortunately, I found the zip was more than a little crap and very stiff indeed. Can anyone recommend an effective zip lubricant for plastic zips?

On said trip, was in Tesco in Bangor, and spotted that they currently have a small synthetic bag for £20. It packs down about as small as the old lightweight down bags but is obviously not rated to be quite as warm. They also have 2.6kg 2-man tents for £20 and a 3-man for £25. Probably a bit cosy for 2/3, but disposable at those prices.

Try rubbing it with a candle.

What he ^ said.

I’ve used a 20ltr alpkit bag on the saddle/seatpost. I bit big, but fine with light items in it. Down bag & vest in my case. Although TBH I could compress both smaller. No issues on moderate descents, no so great when it gets really steep.

Suppose I ought to add a few shots from my partner and her daughters first ever Dartmoor bivvy last weekend.
I know it’s not biking but they are both getting into MTB and this first outing went down a storm, so a first bike bivvy is planned probably with Slugwash and his little’un

A rare this year perfect dawn on Dartmoor

Coffee for us….

Hot chocolate for her

Loads of small trout in that stream

Good work there Mr Things.

looks great.

Out of curiosity whats the best thread for using with cordura 1000d?

Top draw images

Weekend fatpacking trip, with breakfast served on the beach 8)

Perfect weekend, but realising I need to source another sleepmat.
What is out there that is light, small & cheap :wink:

Double post :oops:

Ace pics. I’ve been looking at the alpkit sleeping mats….they do a few that are £40 that are pretty light. Can anybody recommend me a cheap sleeping bag?

I’ve got both the Alpkit Numo and Pacific Outdoor Ether mats, both brilliant airbed-types. Very light, small pack size and not overly expensive (got the Ether on sale for about £25, Numo at the Alpkit yard sale for £20…}

No bikes but first proper bivvy for years, with many ‘ah thats a good idea/item to take’ gained from this thread so thanks muchly. :D

Being properly pissed and it being 3am before i went to sleep probably helped aswell. :oops: